The Romanticization of Mental Illness and Adolescent Identity Formation: Marina and the Diamond's Electra Heart. Issue 1 (31st December 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Shankar, Shravanti
• Is Part Of: Psychoanalytic study of the child. Volume 76:Issue 1(2023)
• Page Start: 199
• Page End: 204
• Publication Date: 2023-12-31
• Subjects: Adolescence -- social media -- negative identity -- ego ideal -- romanticization -- cyberspace -- body image; Child analysis -- Periodicals; Child Psychiatry; Psychology, Child; Psychoanalysis; Enfants -- Psychanalyse; Child analysis; Psychoanalyse; Kinderen; Kinderanalyse; Aufsatzsammlung; Periodicals; Periodicals; 155.4; 616.89
• DOI: 10.1080/00797308.2022.2150038
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0079-7308

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Marina and the Diamonds' album, Electra Heart (2012), by glamorizing suffering, provides adolescents an avenue to find solidarity with others who are self-critical and depressed. Adolescents of the 2010s have formed their identities by crowdsourcing on the internet in response to this album. The character of Electra Heart represents a modern-day negative ego ideal for adolescents. Idealization of her character fans the flames of narcissistic destructive behavior in adolescents, but also provides a way for adolescent girls to symbolize and express negative feelings without acting on them.